Simplified artillery mechanism



3,1944 R. D. GEBEAU 2,359,517

S IMPLIFIED ARTILLERY MECHANI SM Filed March 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 3, 1944. D GEBEAU 2,359,517

SIMPLIFIED ARTILLERY MECHANI SM- Filed March 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 through the gun on the line 3-3 of Patented Oct. 3, 1944 SIMPLIFIED ARTHJLERY MECHANISM Robert D.'Gebeau, Bridgeport, Conn. Application March 7, 1941, Serial No. 382,238

' 1 Claim. 89-2) This invention relates to guns designed for sustaining fire over extended periods oftime, such,

1 barrel may be-rifled (not shown) in accordance with usual practice. The casing 2 projects befor example, as anti-aircraft guns and machine guns An important object of my invention is toprovide a gun of the above character which is .so

constructed and arranged to avoid overheating of the firing chamber. According to the preferred form of my invention, this object is ac-- complished by the provision of means for continuously feeding shells individually enclosed yond the breech of the barrel so as to define a firing chamber C. Adapted to occupy this firing chamber is a shellblook 3 containing a shell S, as will be later more fully described. The portionof thecasing extending beyond the barrel I provides a housing for a strong coil spring 4, the

within shell blocks into the firing chamber of the gun, automatically firing the shells and utilizing the resulting recoil for ejecting the shell blocks containing the exploded shells from the firing chamber.

The invention has as a further object t6" profil d of this housing being closed by an end wall 2a., The spring exerts pressure between the end wall 2a and a firing block 5 slidably disposed within the casing.

Shell blocks 3 are adapted to be introduced into and removed from the firing chamber C through inlet and outlet openings 6 and 1 provided respectively in the top and bottom walls of the casing but located in vertically ofiset relavide in a gun of the above character electrical means for firing the shells and means for utilizing the recoil action of the gun for automatically making and breaking the electrical firing circuit.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a gun of the above character improved means for feeding shell blocks into the firing chamber of the gun and for ejecting shell blocks containing the exploded shells therefrom.

Still another object of my invention is to pro-' vide a gun of the above character which is simple in construction, reliable in operation, and which is capable of rapid and economical manufacture by quantity production methods,

Other objects-and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings in which:

tion. The forward travel of the shell block under the urge of the spring-biased firing block 5 is limited by engagement with the end of bar- "rel in which position both the inlet and outlet openingsare closed by the firing block as shown in Fig. =1. When the shell is exploded in the firing 'chamben'the recoil throws the firing block Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through a gun of the anti-aircraft type when in firing position;

Figure 2 is a view of the gun corresponding to Fig. l, but showing the parts of the firing mechanism in recoil position; l...

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-se'ional view Fig. perspective view of a shell and and shellblock rearwardly, against the action of the coil .spring,.to the position shown in Fig. 2, uncovering both the inlet and outlet openings.

1 As illustrated in Fig. 4, the shell block 3 comprisess-a rectangularcore of steel 3a tightly expanded into a jacket 3b.of a light metal, such as aluminum alloy; The core is centrally provided with arecess 3c of such size as to freely receive ashell S, the rim of the shell fitting within a countersink 3d formed in that end face of the shellblock which is designed to abut the firing block 5 when the shell block is in the firing chamber. The corners of the shell block are preferably rounded to insure an easy fit within the firing chamber.

For feeding the shell block into the. firing chamber the following mechanism is provided: Arranged upon the top wall of the casing 2 is a magazine 8 conforming substantially to the crosssection of a shell block, but extending-rearwardly from a position overlying the inlet opening 6 to a position adjacent the lower or rear end of the casing 2. One end of the magazine is open to receive a series of shell-blocks arranged in end-to-end abutting relationship,so that this train :of shell blocks maycbe slid forwardly through the magazine as indicated in Fig. 1. overlying the inlet opening 8 is a spring clip 9 having an upright section 912 by means of which the clip is anchored to the casing 2, and which additionally serves as a stop to limit the forward in .Fig. l.

' suitably insulated from the rest of the gun strucmovement of a shell block and positions it in registry with the inlet opening I. Forming a lateral extension of the upper end of the upright section 8a is a tongue lb so shaped as to be engaged by a shell block and lifted from th lowered position of Fig. 2 to the raised position in-v dicated in Fig. 1, so as to bear against the upper face of the shell block and urge it through the inlet opening 6. When the firing block and shell block are driven to recoil position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, the shell block carrying the exploded shell is arrested by a stop lugIl (indicated in phantom lines in Fig. 1) in a position immediately overlying the outlet opening 1 through which disposed flush with the forward face of the block A in registrywith the shell recess Ic provided in the shell blocks 3. A companion contact plate Ila is secured within the lower wall of the casing 2, so as to engage the contact plate I l when the firing block occupies the firing position shown Both contact'plates ll.and Ila are ture. The gun structureforms a groundfor the other side of the electrical circuit, and a cable It leads between a source of electrical energy (not shown) and the contact plate Ila. A triger control switch '1- is connected in circuit with the cable for controlling the operation of the gun.

When the gun is first set in operation with no shell=block I in the firing chamber, it is necessary to retract the firing block I against th action of coil spring l, so that a shell block maybe fed by'the spring clip 0 from the magazine 8 into the firing chamber. This is accomplished as follows: The end wall 2a of the casing I is formed with a centrally disposed passage I1 which upon .the interior of the casing is surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve II integral with the end wall. This'sleeve-is internally threaded for a portion of its length, the passage normally being closed by a screw-threaded plug Il engaging the threads upon the sleeve.

Upon'removing the plug II by means of a handle 2. formed thereon, a threaded rod 2| may be inserted through the passage I I and screwed into a threaded opening 22 provided in the firing block I, as shown in Fig. 5. Upon the outer end of the rod lying exteriorly of the end wall of the casing 2 is secured a handwheel 23 for conveniently rotating the rod in screwing it into the firing block. Surrounding the rod II and internallyprovided with screw threads for engaging the threads of the rod is a collar Il, this collar fitting within a smooth bored section of passage I'I. Byrotating the collar by means of a handwheel 2! provided upon-theouter end thereof, the rod 2| is moved outwardly drawing with it thefirlng block I against the pressure of coil spring l. When the firing block reaches the position-shown in Rig. 2, a shellblock s is fed from. the magazine into the'firing chamber. Then by unscrewing and removing the. rod II and replacing the plug ll in the passage II, the

gun is in condition for firing. and such firing can be initiated by operating the trigger switch '1.

It is believed that the operation of the gun Just described will be apparent from the foregoing description. After conditioning the gun for operation in the manner Just described and upon closing the switch T, a current of electricity will flow through the cabl II and between the superposed contact plates Il and Ila to the firing cap I! to detonate the shell 8 carried within the shell block 3 occupying the firing chamber. The explosion of the shell produces a reaction which forces the shell block, and through the shell block the firing block II, rearwardly breaking the connection between the two contact plates Il and Ila. In the fully retracted position illustrated in F18. 2, the shell block containing the exploded shell is arrested by the stop lug II immediately in registry with the outlet opening 1, through which opening this shell block drops under the influence of gravity aided by the kicker spring l. l

In this recoil position of the gun, the inlet opening l is clear to permit a shell block to be forced into the firing chamber, under the urge of clip I, in advance of the retracted firing block I, as that when the firing block containing the exploded shell drops through the outlet opening I, the firing block is free to move forwardly under the urge of coil spring l into contact with the newly admitted shell block. When the firing block 'is restored to the position shown in Fig. l, the contact plates Il and Ila ride into engagement with'each other andagain close the filring circuit to explode the bullet in the shell b ock.

This cycle of loading, firing and discharge continues as long as the trigger control switch T remains closed.-, and so long as shell blocks are supplied to the magazine. Because the heat generated by explosion of the shells is largely absorbed by the shell blocks in which theyare enclosed, and since the shell blocks are removed from the gun immediately after firing of the shells, the firing chamber is not subject to overheating after sustained periods of fire, such as constitutes a serious difiiculty in rapid fire guns at present known to the art, and which overheatingin many cases produces excessive expansion of the parts and results in Jamming of the firing mechanism- It will be apparent that the gun is of comparatively simple construction, and capable of rapid and economical manufacture. Manifestly the invention may be embodied in automatic guns of various sizes, including small arms. Instead of the means for feeding shell blocks from the magazine into the firing chamber described in connection with the foregoing embodiment of my invention. any other suitable type of shell feeding mechanism may be employed.

Itv should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction herein shown and dacribed, for obvious modifications within the scope of the claim may occur to personsskilled in the art.

Iclaim:

A continuous-fire single barrel gun adapted to fire metal-jacketed shells enclosed in rectangular heat-absorbing shell blocka said gun comprising a casing defining at its forward end a firin chamber and being of rectangular shape in trans- I verse cross section so as to accommodate the shell block, a barrel 'extendingoutwardly from the forward end of the casing, an inlet opening through the upper wall of the casing adjacent its forward end, a magazine upon the casing adapted to guide a train of shell blocks into alignment with the inlet opening, means for feeding shell blocks individuall from the magazine into the casing, a firing block slidable within the casing, a spring for urging said firing block into engagement with a shell block to normally insert and retain the shell block in the firing chamber, an outlet opening through the lower 10 wall of the casing rearwardly of the inlet for removal of the exploded shell blocks from the casing, a firing cap on the firing block in registry with a shell carried by the firing block, an electrical circuit including said firing cap, and a pair of sliding contacts on the firing block and the casing adapted to be intermittently moved into and out of circuit closing engagement upon reciprocation oi the firing block.

ROBERT D. GEBEAU. 

